Tag Archives: Integrative Nutrition

The Raisin Cure for Arthritis

Posted on by

When I first started my private practice 35 years ago, integrative or alternative health care was considered to be “voo-doo”, or at least very suspect. In spite of the fact that many natural treatments, (those not scientifically proven), worked extremely well for many maladies was of no interest to traditional thinkers.

One of the folk-treatments that was often discussed by patients who came into the office was an intoxicatingtreatment to address arthritis pain and discomfort. An unusual Rx, a “Raisin-Gin” elixir, made at home and very inexpensive, is highly touted as a miracle cure for arthritis. By all appearances, this treatment works very well for the many individuals who have tried it.

Now that I am older, my horse-back riding and jogging injuries have come back to haunt me. I have sadly developed some arthritis in my hips, which I am told is the result of the pounding from many years of 10K training. Whatever the reason, I have hip joint pain that needs to be addressed and the raisin-gin cure came to mind. It is something I am planning to try shortly.

It requires a little preparation. First you buy golden raisins (ONLY golden raisins), a bottle of gin and a glass baking dish. You lay out the golden raisins in the glass baking dish and cover the raisins with the gin. Use only enough to cover the raisins but do not over do it.

Cover the dish and put it in a safe place, where it won’t be knocked over on your kitchen counter – a place you can easily keep an eye on it. It will take 7-10 days, depending on how much gin you put in, for the raisins to absorb and metabolize all the gin. When the raisins are plump and all the gin is absorbed, it’s time to try “the cure”.

Take two (2) tablespoons a day of the raisins, storing the “brewed” dish of raisins in a covered glass jaw. Do NOT refrigerate. If this is an agreeable treatment for your arthritis, you should see results within 7-10 days, with less pain and stiffness.

This treatment is believed to work as a result of the metabolic interaction between the raisins (which are living foods being that they are derived from dried plums) and the gin, which is a fermented extract of grain mash, so it to is a living food material. The thinking is that somewhere in this metabolic marriage a natural chemical is produced that addresses the inflammation and stiffness of arthritis.

If you are curious, you can try it yourself, and I will let you know the outcome of my own experiment with this rather unique and rather tasty treatment.

All the best,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Alcohol May Slow Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on by

 May 22, 2007, in the journal Neurology, a study was published from the University of Bari, Italy, involving 1,445 people between the ages of 65 through 85 examining the long term affects of alcohol intake on dementia. This study, the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, followed the subjects for three and a half years.

The outcome of the study suggested that geriatric adults who routinely drank one alcoholic beverage per day may have developed both dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at a rate of 85% slower than the individuals in the same age group who did have a moderate, daily intake of alcohol.

There have been a number of studies which have demonstrated that moderate alcohol consumption has been linked with reduced risk of vascular disease, and good vascular health could slow the progression of dementia. There have been well-published studies out of Harvard School of Public Heath that have shown moderate alcohol consumption may be involved in the reduction of many serious conditions ranging from heart attack, bowel cancer, strokes and high blood pressure.  In addition to the antioxidants found in wines, the stress reducing effects of alcohol may be the common denominator behind these benefits.

Despite the University of Bari study outcomes, numerous experts believe that alcohol used alone won’t stop the onset of dementia. More importantly they recommend adopting a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and social interaction as the best way of protecting our brain health. Other studies have already shown that wine contains natural compounds that have an antioxidant effect, which is good for circulation.

 Or it could be that a moderate lifestyle, which includes a moderate intake of alcohol, may-be important in the overall picture than the alcohol content of the diet. As the Neurology article states: “It is… possible that moderate lifestyles in general, which obviously vary according to different cultural environments, protect from cognitive impairment. Thus it may not be the direct effect of alcohol or specific substances in alcoholic drinks that provide the protection.”

While there is some question about the specific action of alcohol to reduce dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, there is little to no debate that a balanced, moderate lifestyle is the best protection against many chronic, debilitating conditions.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 – G.Donadio

The Consequences of Too Much Sodium in Your Diet

Posted on by

Sodium is a naturally occurring, essential mineral that helps regulate body fluids and kidney function. But in high doses can cause hypertension, kidney damage, decrease of calcium absorption, bloating, fatigue and increased risk for strokes and heart disease.

The recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 mg per day. A low sodium diet is considered between 400 – 1000 mg a day. A normal sodium diet is considered between 1500 – 2,300 per day and a high sodium diet between 2,500 and 4,000 mg per day. The average American diet contains over 3,500 mg per day, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.  According to experts, the damage of high sodium is accumulated and can have a long term, life threatening effect.  

Even those of us who think we are eating well and are careful about our food choices, may not realize how much sodium is lurking in our foods. Processed, canned, jarred and frozen foods have high levels of sodium, as does most restaurant prepared meals and certainly “fast foods” where sodium and flavor enhancers are added for taste and texture.

Few of us realize that foods we eat every day are loaded with sodium. Examples are:

>  one cup of cocoa has 950 mg of sodium in it

>  a chicken fillet sandwich has 940 mg of sodium

>  tomato ketchup has 1042 mg

>  parmesan cheese 1862 mg

>  processed cheese has 1189 mg

…. and the list goes on. The more processed the food, the more likely it is to contain high sodium levels.

Fresh fish, fruits, nuts, eggs, beans, meats and vegetables, on the other hand have low levels of sodium:

Fish  – fresh

> Anchovy – 87  (3 oz portions)

> Bass – 58

> Catfish – 51

> Clams – 31

> Cod – 59

> Flounder – 66

> Lobster – 179

> Oysters – 62

> Salmon, Atlantic – 63

> Scallops, 217

> Shrimp – 119

> Sole – 66

> Trout, rainbow – 69

> Tuna, albacore – 34

Fruits  – fresh

> Apple 1 medium – 0

> Apricots, 1 medium – negligible

> Asian pear – 0

> Avocados, 1/2 medium – 10

> Bananas, 1 medium – 1

> Blackberries – 0

> Blueberries, 1/2 cup – 4

> Cantaloupe, 1/8 of melon – 5

> Cherries, sweet – 0

> Cranberries, 1 cup – 1

> Grapefruit – 9

> Grapes, 1 cup – 2

> Oranges – 0

> Peaches – 0

> Pears – 0

> Pineapples, chopped, 1 cup – 2

> Plums – 0

> Raspberries – 0

> Strawberries, 1/2 cup – 1

> Tomatoes – 4

> Watermelon, cubed, 1 cup – 3

> Egg, whole, medium, 1 – 55

Meats and Poultry (3 oz raw, unprocessed) in mg

> Beef

> Liver – 62

> Porterhouse – 47

> Sirloin – 44

> Chicken breast – 58

> Duck, meat only – 64

> Turkey breast  51

Nuts, unsalted (1/4 cup) in mg

> Almonds, raw – 4

> Brazil nuts, raw – 1

> Cashews, dry roasted – 6

> Hazelnuts, raw – 1

> Macadamia, dry roasted – 2

> Peanuts, dry roasted – 6

> Pecans, raw – negligible

> Pistachio, dry roasted – 2

> Walnuts, raw – negligible

Beans 1/2 cup cooked

> Lentils – 13

> Kidney Beans – 2

> Lima beans – 3

> Navy beans – 1

> Split peas – 12

Vegetables, fresh (1/2 cup raw) in mg

> Acorn squash – 2

> Alfalfa sprouts – 1

> Artichoke – 1 medium, steamed – 79

> Asparagus – 1

> Beans, green – 3

> Beets – 49

> Bell peppers – 2

> Broccoli – 12

> Brussels sprouts – 11

> Butternut squash – 3

> Cabbage – 14

> Carrots – 20

> Cauliflower – 8

> Corn – 12

> Cucumbers – 1

> Eggplant – 2

> Lettuce – 2

> Mushrooms – 1

> Onions – 2

> Potatoes, medium, baked – 16

> Pumpkins – 1

> Spaghetti squash – 9

> Spinach – 22

> Sweet potatoes – 9

> Tomatoes – 4

> Watercress – 7

> Yams – 7

> Zucchini – 1

It is clear that, once again, the best foods to eat are fresh and unprocessed, which not only contains more nutrients, but contains much less sodium.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

The Facts About Fiber

Posted on by

Plant fiber is an essential component to a healthy diet. It is the non-digestible portion of the cell walls of the plant that provides excellent benefits for humans and provides highly nourishing food for rudiments. Rudiments are double-bellied animals such as goats and cows who have the digestive enzyme capacity to break down the plants fibrous cell walls.

Fiber helps keep our intestines and bowels healthy by removing debris, reduces weight gain by taking longer to digest, creating fullnes and bulk to the diet, thereby lowering appetite and capacity. In addition, because fiber slows down absorption, it also aids in regulating blood sugar.

There are two types of fiber. There is the water soluble type that mixes with water and forms a gel like substance. The benefits are that this form lowers cholesterol and modifies blood sugar levels by slowing down absorption. It also produces antioxidants, anti-aging and anti-carcinogenic compounds during the fermentation process in the large intestines.

Insoluble Fiber does not dissolve in water and as such passes through the digestive system pretty close to the same form it was in when we put it in our mouths. This form reduces the risk of colo-rectal cancer, hemorrhoids and constipation by softening the stool.

Foods that are rich in fiber are fruits, vegetables, brown rice and nuts. How much fiber to have per day? While there is not Reccommended Daily Allowance for fiber, the ADA recommends approximately 25% of our diet should be made up of fiber. This can ensure we are getting plenty of plant base foods and all the benefit of its fiber.

How to Increase your Fiber?

> Instead of having a glass or orange juice – eat an orange. Replace any fruit juice with the actual fruit.

> Replace ALL white flour with whole grain flour or use sprouted grains instead.

> Ue only whole grain versions of pasta, cereal and bread

> Be sure to include 5-8 vegetables in your diet daily. Having a hearty vegetable soup is an easy way to do that.

> Choose brown rice over white

> Replace meat dishes with bean, lentil or legume dishes.

The best way to not even have to think about whether you are getting your fiber or not, is to follow a diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and whole grains. Not only is it good for your health – its also delicious!

Our Not So Sweet Sugar Addiction

Posted on by

The average American consumes around 150 pounds of sugar a year (yes, you read that correctly). As hard as thing is to believe, humans have a natural attraction to sugar that is part of our survival mechanism which dates back to the days when sugars and energy rich carbohydrates were not readily available.

One of my class members in high school was Stephen Sinatra, MD, who is an author, cardiologist,, nutritionist and anti-aging specialist. He was also the consultant for Connie Bennett’s book, Sugar Shock.  Dr. Sinatra explains that it is the over-consumption of sugar that creates a low -grade “silent inflammation” in the body and we know today that inflammation has been implicated in all the leading chronic diseases. Heart disease and of course diabetes are two of the leading conditions that excess sugar consumption contribute to.

Many nutrition experts including Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, nutrition specialist at the Gold Door Spa and Resort says that the current guidelines of sugar not exceeding 10% of our daily caloric intake is still too much.

Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD, author of The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Book states that a true sugar addict have a specific syndrome going on – that they tend to have low serotonin levels, unstable blood sugar levels or low beta-endorphin levels. This means that they are eating sugar as a “medication” to feel better, as sugar creates a temporary increase in all of these levels and creates a true addiction cycle.

Other experts believe that soil mineral deficiencies, emotional hunger, processed foods and a lack of exercise are all culprits in the enormous number of Americans who have constant sugar cravings and addictions.

So, what’s the cure? This is the fun part because we generally tend to come back to the basics and wind up with the same advice we would get from our wise and experienced grandmothers – MODERATION.

Moderation is learning to balance our lives by slowing down, eating natural,  organic, home cooked foods and not too much of them; exercising more, working less, enjoying the simple things like laughter, gardening, cooking, reading and just plain BEING.

May-be we crave sugar when our “lives lose their sweetness” and the way to fix it is seeing the sweetness that is already in our lives – enjoying the life we are living instead of  being hungry for a life that may appear more exciting or glamorous but may not be as “nourishing” as the one we are living now!

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G.Donadio

Top Ten Nutrients

Posted on by

The University of California, Berkley has a Wellness Letter that has published what researchers call “the top ten nutrients for reducing cancer and heart disease”. Below is a very helpful list of the nutrients and the best foods to find them in. You will notice a very clear pattern here – that the same foods appear on many if not all the lists. These are the foods to gravitate towards and whenever possible, buy them organic; food that has not been exposed to pesticides or other unnatural processes, is best for our immune system and nutrition

Vitamin C –
Red Peppers – organic is preferred as they can have pesticides in lareg amounts on them
Orange Juice – a fresh orange is best
Broccoli, chopped and steamed
Apples and fresh apple juice
Green peppers – organic is best with peppers due to pesticides
Brussel Sprouts, steamed
Grapefruit juice
Cranberries fresh
Papaya slices
Strawberries, fresh and preferrably organic due to pesticides

Folacin –
Beans – cooked
Spinish, fresh
Oatmeal
Asparagus
Avacado
Green Peas
Brussel sprouts
Wheat germ
Broccoli, choppedand steamed
Corn kernels

Vitamin B6 –
Tuna, fresh
Potatoe, bakes with skins
Banana
Salmon, fresh
Chicken or turkey, cooked
Prune juice
Pork, well cooked
Avacado
Beef, well cooked
Sweet Potatoe, slow baked

Beta Carotene –
Sweet Potatoe, slow baked
Collard Greens, cooked
Carrots
Cantaloupe
Squash, winter
Apricots, fresh
Pumpkin, fresh
Kale, cooked
Spinach, steamed
Mango, sliced

Potassium –
Beet greens
Avacado
Apricots
Beans
Potatoe, baked with skin
Clams cooked
Yogurt, plain, low fat
Fish
Orange juice, fresh
Banana

Selenium –
Brazil Nuts
Tuna, canned
Oysters, cooked
Flounder or sole, cooked
Turkey, cooked
Wheat germ
Brown rice, cooked
Oatmeal, cooked

Calcium –
Sardines, canned
Yogurt, plain low fat
Almonds
Sour cream, non-fat
Collard greens, cooked
Ricotta cheese, part-skim
Parmesan cheese
Milk
Swiss cheese
Salmon, canned with bones

Zinc –
Oysters, eastern
Crab, king
Beef, cooked
Wheat germ
Turkey cooked
Lamb, cooked
Prok, cooked
Cashews or almonds
Beans
Chicken, cooked

Magnesium –
Almonds or hazelnuts
Spincah, cooked
Swiss chard, cooked
Sunflower seeds
Halibut or markrel
Tofu
Wheat bran
Rice, brown, cooked
Avacado
Beans

Fiber –
Beans cooked
Peas, green, cooked
Raspberries
Bulgar, cooked
Rye wafers
Wheat bran
Pasta, whole wheat or rice, cooked
Oat bran, cooked
Squash, acorn
Potato, baked with skin

This is a great list because it has tasty, nutritious and disease preventing foods that most of us enjoy ~

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 – G. Donadio

Eating Less = Living Longer Part IV

Posted on by

Over the past few years, the National Institutes of Health spent 30 million dollars on a multiple study site program that has been called CALERIE – which stands for Comprehensive Assessment of the Long Terms Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy. What this translates into is “calorie-restricted diet”.

All across the U.S. there are 132 study subjects who have spent the past few years maintaining a calorie-reduced lifestyle. As we discussed in previous blogs, these studies are the outgrowth of rhesus money studies that showed a significant reduction in disease manifestation and aging. The desire to duplicate these findings in humans and see if this “new” approach to disease prevention and longevity would prove as successful in humans as it did in animals.

The results of the first phase of the study outcomes provide us a look into what can be expected by the end of the study. With just a 25% calorie reduction over the course of a 6 month period, the study participants metabolism became more efficient and their insulin sensitivity rose which meant that their body was able to deal with the regulation of blood sugar more effectively which is a critical function in the prevention of diabetes. Other outcomes suggest the diet’s ability to lower hypertension and cholesterol levels as well as improve memory function.

Even the medical researchers who worked on the first phase of the study have been skeptical. John Holloszy, MD from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, says” I didn’t think this would work in humans until I started working with people who had been doing it for years. They are among the healthiest people I’ve ever known.”

It makes perfect common sense that when you reduce the wear and tear on any machine, you have a more efficient function and create a longer life span for that functioning mechanism. It should not surprise any of us that when we take digestive and metabolic stress off our organs we feel better, look better and ARE better!

What benefits might you derive from such an approach to your nutrition? Reducing our food intake by 25% means that we take 1/4 of the food we have on our plate and just don’t eat it – easy enough. But it also means that you begin to substitute more nutritous food for less nutritous food over the long term, which will lead to better health and longer life.

More importantly, however, what this lifestyle can do for each of us is place the control over our health and wellness back where it belongs – into our own hands (and mouths).

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 – G. Donadio

Eating Less = Living Longer Part III

Posted on by

In our previous blogs we have been introduced to the concept that eating less can become a means to reduce metabolic and biochemical reactions thus reducing or preventing free radicals, cell damage, aging and disease.

What we also learned was that free radical culprits are “neutralized” by anti-oxidants. Antioxidants prevent oxidation which in turn creates free radicals, as we saw in the prior blog, result from weak biochemical bonds losing an electron and then go in search of that missing electron and steal it from another compound. Who said biochemistry was dull?

How do we use our food choices to work against this ongoing metabolic drama in our bodies? Your mother and grandmother will enjoy this part – vegetables, vegetables, vegetables – and some fruit for a punch of vitamin C. Vegetables and fruits contain very high amounts of anti-oxidants which is why we are constantly reminded that the more we eat these living foods – the better.

If we combine eliminating non-living or processed foods from our diet we are then not only  restricting foods that cause our bodies to work harder and experience wear and tear, but we are also greatly reducing or eliminating the amount of potential free radicals our body will have to deal with to stay healthy, slow aging and prevent chronic disease.

Most of us do not want to radically change our diets and dramatically restrict our caloric intake, so how can we use this information to our advantage without feeling deprived or hungry on an ongoing basis?

One of the easiest and best strategies is to s-l-o-w-l-y begin to eliminate the foods that are known to have the least nutrients in them and are more likely to produce anti-oxidants. These would be any processed foods, especially processed grains which have had their nutrient value reduced or eliminated. Sugars, grains, bakery items, soda, candies and most other foods that have been “through the mill” so to speak are the target foods you want to start to eliminate.

If you begin to do this slowly and gradually, over time you will not only save your body the burden of processing these materials, but you are very likely to lose a considerable amount of weight. One of my patients simply eliminated his morning caramel macchiato and muffin and over a few months lost 15 pounds without really trying.  He chose to do this because his cholesterol was elevated and now his cholesterol and his weight is much lower!

Next Installment: Long Term Benefits

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Eating Less = Living Longer Part II

Posted on by

It is never easy to change our eating patterns, as they are intimately connected to our lifestyle, values, comforts, emotions, familial patterns and so forth. However, in light of the obvious benefit from reducing the amount of food we take into our bodies, we might want to consider taking even small baby steps that can help us achieve greater longevity.

The science behind WHY calorie-restriction dieting works to enhance longevity (all dieting is actually calorie-restricting – just given a formal name like “the South Beach Diet”), is fairly pragmatic and obvious. The less food we put into our bodies, the less digestive wear and tear, the less detoxification functions our liver has to perform, the less enzymes we need to produce and the less “free radicals” are bodies are subjected to.

A Short Primer on Free Radicals

Free radicals are “renegade” or unpaired electrons which are formed when weak bonds are separated during biochemical body processes. These unpaired electrons are unstable and try to capture or steal the missing electron from other materials which surround them. When the innocent molecule has its electron stolen by the free radical, it turns into a free radical itself which then begins a chain reaction. This can easily result in the destruction of living cells.

Free radicals do occur normally during the metabolic process. Importantly though, many environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides also produce and create free radicals. Under normal circumstances our bodies handle free radicals through our immune function, but if we are deficient in antioxidants or there is too much free-radical production damage occurs and HERE IS THE KICKER – free radical damage accumulates with age.

Next Installment: How to Slow Down Aging and Increase Longevity

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 – G. Donadio

Eating Less = Living Longer

Posted on by

Just this past year, at the University of Wisconsin, researchers identified that rhesus monkeys, when placed on a calorie-restricted diet,  were half as likely to get the three top diseases in American today – cancer, diabetes and heart disease. For many years scientists have been aware that reducing caloric intake dramatically slowed aging. Many studies that were done on non-vertebrate animals showed the impact of reducing the daily amount of caloric intake on anti-aging as well as preventing degenerative and chronic diseases.

Eric Ravussin, PhD, Director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Louisiana State University, states “There is not question that calorie reduction dieting increases the life span of any species.” However, reduced calorie research with human beings is in its infancy and further  gathering is necessary to establish proof that this applied to humans as well as animals.

Lisa Walford, the daughter of Roy Waford, M.D., who was one of the first physicians to write about the diets health benefits, is the co-author of  “The Longevity Diet” and has been following a calories restricted diet for over 20 years. Lisa believes that her vitality and good health is the direct result of her practice of yoga and the restricted calorie diet. She states that her deep sleep and daily energy levels are proof that the diet her father endorsed works.

The principal of the calorie restricted diet is to minimize the amount of calories you consume and maximize the amount of nutrients you take in every day. You have to first determine what you natural set point is – this is basically what your body would weight naturally. From there you then reduce the amount of calories you take in every day, while maintaining your energy level. In order to increase the benefits of the calorie-restricted diet, you must consume fewer calories than what your body would require to maintain your normal weight.

Next Installment: The steps required to achieve success on a calorie-restricted life-style